Paula's b&w Sunday challenge this week usually goes against my practice, as it usually does against hers. She says “Surreptitious photography is challenging, but it may have its rewards like ending up with really candid shots, or it can have undesirable effects such as being beaten up.”
I've had two surreptitious photos waiting for posting for a while, one taken in Częstochowa of three women in fur hats and coats chatting at the pedestrian crossing on my first foray out of Warsaw in 2012. They caught my eye particularly, because I was feeling deprived of such chattiness after five months in a world where everyone spoke Polish. That photo I can't seem to track down.
The one I could find was captured at the end of 2014 when I was taking fellow blogger Jude on a whirlwind tour of the south coast during her brief stay at my place. We visited the Blue Pool at Bermagui, and looked down on these three women, also chatting companionably. This time I did not feel deprived: Jude and I had been talking non-stop ever since we met. I took the shot from high above the sea pool, vivid green that day despite its name, with the blue Pacific behind it.
My preference I think is still for colour, although the black and white one does focus attention on the circle of women within the circling water, without distraction. Here's the original, both cropped and uncropped.
restlessjo said:
What a lovely spot for a natter, Meg! And yes- wonderful crop and adaptation. 🙂
Did you write a post on Czestochowa? (without your 3 ladies 🙂 ) I’ve whizzed through on the motorway numerous times but never managed a stop (yet 🙂 ) What did you think of it?
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morselsandscraps said:
Here’s a link to the post – which in fact includes my ladies. Not as discreet as I thought I was! There was also a visit to an art gallery.
My daughter’s mother-in-law actually walked the pilgrimage route from Warsaw to Częstochowa, another reason to deeply admire her.
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restlessjo said:
Several of my family members regularly do the walk from Krakow to Czestochowa, Meg. Thanks for the link 🙂
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Lucid Gypsy said:
Well what a brilliant crop Meg, you’ve transformed a nice photo into a great one. I love the colour version, but think the black and white tells a better story, I’d love to eavesdrop on their conversation wouldn’t you?
Top marks for you today 🙂
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morselsandscraps said:
Thank you for top marks. Pity I didn’t earn them for my archival competence and find the Częstochowa Three. That’s the problem with unlabelled USBs. I’d like to think they were talking about profound matters – the role of science in making the world a better place, the nature of love, the ethics of politics, the gendering of their home life – but then again the setting asks for more intimacy than this: maybe how the Ferrante novels reflect their own experience, the things that have most delighted them since they swam last, their wrestling with family dilemmas. But please. Not dietary requirements or health!
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pommepal said:
All 3 photos say different things to me Meg. The b&w is perfect for Paula’s challenge, making the 3 friends the focus. The middle photo with that iridescent green just sparkles, but for me the third photo showing the contrast between the swirling ocean and calm green pool and the tiny figures, flashes of red repeated in the towels and cleverly caught on the thirds and the bottom edge fringed with the greenery and dots of white flowers. It is a photo I keep looking at.
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morselsandscraps said:
Thank you for close attention, even noticing the flowers which I would’ve disposed of in the complete shot if I could. Glad I couldn’t now.
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pommepal said:
That foreground interest made the composition, gave it a 3d dimension I thought.
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Paula said:
😀 Sue is right in her evaluation. Meg, this is a very nice surprise. Thank you, dear.
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morselsandscraps said:
I’m delighted to surprise you, my friend! Now I’ll have to try again.
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Sue said:
The monochrome definitely has you, the viewer, concentrating on the action… And you were seriously surreptitious, Meg!
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morselsandscraps said:
All the fault of those fur-hatted Częstochowa women! They started me on the track of looking for women in threes.
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Sue said:
Excuses, excuses!!
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morselsandscraps said:
Rosemary commented by email because WordPress wasn’t cooperating.
She said: “You are correct, the B&W photo does emphasise the circular aspect of the water, and therefore the conversation among the three friends. However the coloured version makes the scene more enticing to the viewer to be part of that conversation in that lovely place, inviting speculation about what is being said and about the relationships among the participants. So I am glad that you included the coloured version too.”
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morselsandscraps said:
What do you think they’re talking about? Thanks for persisting with your comment, and I hope you don’t mind me posting it as I have done.
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Rosemary Barnard said:
How about this bit of ordinary chat? Nothing deep and serious while they are simply enjoying the moment. Weight off the feet equates to weight off the mind, no? “It is so nice to get out of the house, away from all those demands and expectations. We should do this more often”.
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